Sports

By Tom Dodge
sportsenews@bellsouth.net

The beginning of the high school football season is just two weeks away.
In preparation for their openers the local programs are participating in scrimmages this week.
St. Edmund travels to Opelousas Catholic 5 p.m. today, while Basile hosts Pine Prairie at 5:30 p.m.
St. Eds will face Westminster Christian Academy next Thursday in the Opelousas Kiwanis jamboree at Donald Gardner Stadium. Mamou travels to Abbeville for a 6 p.m. scrimmage today.

By Tom Dodge
sportsenews@bellsouth.net

OPELOUSAS - The annual preseason ritual of brisket and pigskin was the kick-off to the season Eunice head coach Paul Trosclair and the other St. Landry Parish public school coaches have been waiting for.
The St. Landry Parish football jamboree will be held Friday, Aug. 29 at Donald Gardner Stadium.
The first game sets Beau Chene against Northwest, followed by North Central facing Port Barre.
In the 8:45 p.m. finale, Eunice will face Opelousas High.

By Tom Dodge
sportsenews@bellsouth.net

Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.
For Eunice head football coach Paul Trosclair, he would love to have both working in fine fashion.
After an 11-2 finish and a quarterfinal appearance in 2007, this year’s Bobcats could have even more success.
With nine games in which the defense allowed 14 points or less and 11 contests in which the offense scored 21 points or more, the Bobcats proved they were a well-balanced team.

By Tom Dodge
sportsenews@bellsouth.net

Entering his third season as head football coach, Tony Bertrand is expecting his Basile team to battle in District 5-1A and make a strong run in the playoffs.
Last year, the Bearcats finished 7-4, second in district and lost a heartbreaker to Northlake Christian (21-14) in the opening round of the playoffs.
“We had a good summer in the weight room,” he said. “We did seven-on-seven competition which we haven’t done over the past several year and I think that helped us develop more in our passing game and our pass defense.”

By Tom Dodge
sportsenews@bellsouth.net

After a run at the quarterfinals in his first season at St. Edmund, Blue Jay head coach Tom Andrus is excited about the possibilities for the 2008 squad.
The Blue Jays finished 10-3 overall last season after a 3-1 run through District 6-1A.
After a 33-14 loss to 3-A Iota, St. Ed’s sole district loss was against a 25-15 decision to Catholic High of Pointe Coupee before the Blue Jays went on a six-game winning streak.

Opelousas – A talented and evenly matched group on nine, including Sonoma Cat & Missed the Prom, one-two finishers in the Oak Hall Stakes here at Evangeline Downs last month, are set to square off in the 22nd running of the $200,000 Evangeline Mile, the richest race of the spring/summer thoroughbred season on Saturday evening at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino.